Category Archives: Lorraine

Longwy

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Longwy

In the 1960ies the small town of Longwy, France (pop. 60000) still housed more than 20 blast furnaces. A unique density.
The mills were running on local iron ores of a rather poor quality that became uneconomical in the 1970ies with high quality iron ore shipped into Europe from overseas.
35 years ago, after the announcment of La Chiers’ closure, Longwy’s steel workers started their long and exceptional violent struggle to keep their jobs.
Since the closure of Arcelor’s wire rolling mill in 1998 there is no more steel industry in town.
Jean-Marie Ottelé site: www.industrie.lu is a unique source of information about the Terre Rouge (Red Earth) steel industry.

Longwy Map

1: Cockerill-Ougrée-Providence
Founded: 1865.
Closed: 1987
2: Lorraine-Escaut
Founded 1835
Closed 1987
3: Hauts Fourneaux De La Chiers
Founded:  1881
Closed: 1979
4: Aciéries de Longwy
Founded: 1880
Closed:  1978
5: Hauts-Fourneaux Réunis de Saulnes et Uckange
Founded: 1872
Closed: 1991

Hauts Fourneaux De La Chiers

Hauts Fourneaux De La Chiers, 1950ies


Rien ne va plus

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Florange Blast furnaces
According to the French newspaper Liberation AcelorMittal announced to shut down the hot end of it’s  last integrated steel mill in Lorraine, France at Florange permanently.
The two remaining blast furnaces P3 and P6 that were idled in 2011 will not be restarted by AM.
ArcelorMittal is said to have offered the iron and steel making facilities at Florange to the French Government for one Euro to find a new owner within the next few month.